Just Love is on Hiatus

The Just Love blog is going on hiatus for the foreseeable future. Our goal is to come back to blogging and reviewing sometime in 2019, bigger and better than ever. But for right now our team has some Real Life to deal with.

We’ll miss you all during this little break! Take care, read lots, and be good to yourself.

(Just Love will not be accepting review requests while on hiatus. However, individual reviewers of the blog may choose to review books on their personal sites/Goodreads accounts. If you need to contact us for any reason, please use this form.)

Summer Book Conventions: El recaps BookExpo America & BookCon 2018!

Better late than never, eh?

This year I attended the final day of BookExpo America (BEA) and the two days of BookCon, which took place from June 1-3 in New York City.

This is book-lovers’ paradise– a massive convention hall filled with publishers. And most of them are really eager to sell (or give away) their upcoming releases.

But before I get to the exciting part– the ARCs, of course! (and maybe a giveaway of my own…?)– I want to share some of my experiences from the Cons.

Check it out. And don’t forget to read to the end of the post, where you might find some awesome surprises.

BREAKING NEWS: ‘Supergirl’ introduces Nia Nal, the first trans superhero on TV!

DC’s hit TV show Supergirl has some big news– three new characters will be joining the show for Season 4, including Nia Nal (aka Dreamer), player by Nicole Maines! Even more exciting is the news that Maines, a trans actress, will portray the first transgender superhero on television!

Maines is a trans activist and actress who has appeared on Royal Pains, The Trans List, Becoming Nicole book, and more. The character of Nia Nal is a precog who sees the future in her dreams. DC enthusiast will recognize the Nal name from the Legion of Superheroes, where her great great (great?) granddaughter lives in the future.

Executive Producers Jessica Queller and Robert Rovner confirm that they sought out a trans actor for the role. “We found a real life superhero in Nicole Maines,” Queller said. “We did a worldwide talent search for this role we always were seeking a trans actress. That was always our intention.”

“The show is about inclusion,” Rovner said.

Supergirl returns this Fall for a new season on the CW.

Looking Ahead: San Diego Comic Con + All Things Queer!

By the time you read this, San Diego Comic Con will just be getting underway. The convention is one of the biggest in the world, and a must for fans of the geeky– comic books, video games, TV, movies, and more are on display over the four (and a half) day convention.

It’s also an oasis for queer geeks, and the convention has grown over the last few years to be more diverse and inclusive. This year’s SDCC will have several fantastic panels focusing on queer culture and characters in media, so we wanted to take a few minutes to highlight those.

We’ll also have two Just Love bloggers at the Con– El and DMac are on duty, and we plan to report back with the hottest upcoming books, shows and movies… and maybe a few super awesome interviews! We also have our top three “must see” items for the con.

So check it out!

Happy Canada Day! Here are some queer reads set in the Great White North!

Happy Canada Day! Joyeuse fête du Canada!

To celebrate, we’d like to share with you a brief list of queer Canadian lit, as recommended by folks on our twitter! I’ve tried to separate these by province/territory whenever possible. For multi-book series, I’ve just listed the first book. One note:

If I’ve made a mistake with regards to orientation/gender identity in the book, genre, or location, please do not hesitate to correct me. I’m basing everything on Goodreads and user tags, which may not be accurate.

One more note: Casey the Canadian Librarian has an incredible list of Canadian Queer Women’s Classics, which I highly recommend you check out.

Now go curl up with a nice cup of Timmies and have a lovely Canada Day! (And if you have other recommendations, toss ’em in the comments and we’ll add them to the list. If possible, please include where in Canada the book is set!)

Interview with Rick Riordan (Plus a “Rick Riordan Presents” Giveaway!)

Recent years have seen an incredible shift in publishing towards greater inclusivity and diversity, and at the forefront of that push has been author Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and Magnus Chase series. These books may be targeted for Middle Grade and Young Adult readers, but the stories– which follow teenagers as they interact with mythological gods– are rich with people of color, queer characters, neurodiversity, and more! These are truly books for readers of all ages.

We’re thrilled today to welcome Rick Riordan to our site to talk about the origins of Percy Jackson, the debate about what’s ‘appropriate’ in MG/YA books, and much more!

Thank you, Rick, for joining us today!

Interview with Ngozi Ukazu, author and illustrator of “Check, Please!”

At last year’s Flame Con (the queer comic con held in NYC), I had the pleasure of meeting up with author and artist Ngozi Ukazu. Her web comic, Check, Please!, was the most funded Kickstarter of all time, and has taken the internet by storm. In between talking about the amazing art on display and our shared love of hockey, we took a few minutes to chat about pies, queer rep in sports, and #Hockey, the first volume of Check, Please!, which will be published this autumn by First Second!

College, baking, coming to terms with your sexuality, and hockey… what more could you ask for in a comic? “Check” it out:

Eric Bittle—former Georgia junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and amateur pâtissier—is starting his freshman year playing hockey at the prestigious Samwell University in Samwell, Massachusetts. And it’s basically nothing like co-ed club hockey back in the South. For one?

There’s checking.

It’s a story about hockey and friendship and bros and trying to find yourself during the best 4 years of your life.

Today I’m thrilled to feature Ngozi on the blog! And be sure to check the end of the post for purchase links and more.

Hockey Is For Everyone: At Home with the Penguins

Photo by El @ Just Love

We spent part of February talking about Hockey Is For Everyone month and the impact that it has on us as queer fans. This past Monday, I had the chance to attend my second Hockey Is For Everyone game of 2018, and the first that highlighted the LGBTQ+ community.  That it was in my home arena, with my local team made it even more important to me.

PITTSBURGH, PA – MARCH 05: at PPG Paints Arena on March 5, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) ©Pittsburgh Penguins 2018

Top of the Stack: March 2018

Spring is finally on the way (or fall, for our antipodean friends), and we’re looking forward to rain on the windows, flowers blooming, and lots of exciting new books! So it’s time again for our Top of the Stack!

Here are our most anticipated releases of March!

Hockey Is For Everyone: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

February is Hockey is For Everyone month in the National Hockey League. The NHL devotes one month each season to elevating diversity and inclusivity in professional sports, pairing with organizations like You Can Play to help bring together “all people who play or watch hockey, including fans of every race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and those with disabilities.” (Source) Using the hashtag #HockeyIsForEveryone, the League hopes to spread awareness and open conversation on social media.

El recently appeared on SB Nation’s Fear the Fin blog to discuss the emotions after watching a Hockey Is For Everyone game earlier this month, and what it’s like when your team fails you in their inclusion efforts.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

 

Also check out Part 1 | Part 2